Dear Fisher Price……….
I spent some time last night looking into getting Charlotte a personalized learning laptop or computer. I was excited when I cam across the positive reviews of the Fisher Price Computer Cool School toy. It was perfect! I loved all the elements to it and the fact that she could even practice writing. Charlotte is almost 4, so she is just hitting the time where this is all making sense to her. Woo, Hoo, Christmas gift! Right? WRONG.
You see, my daughter is a leftie. And this toy is only made for RIGHT handed children. So what did I do? I called Fisher Price. I have always wondered what those 1-800 numbers were for, and today, I used it. I call them up and get a person.
Him: how can i help you (very nice, poor guy didn’t know what was coming)
Me: I want to know more information about the Computer Cool School toy….it appears to be only for right handed children and I want to know if it converts to left handed.
Him: (pause) gooooooooooood question. Can you hold for a minute?
Me: Sure
(holding…holding…holding…)
Him: Ok, Im back. Can I get some information from you first.
Me: Sure
Him: Address….phone…..email….(me giving all that out)
(at this point he tells me he likes my email address….i know he is preparing me for the worst now with buttering me up)
Him: I went and got one of those and I’m pulling it out….(pause)……Looks like it cannot transfer to the left
Me: So, what your telling me, and I don’t like to throw this word around that much, but that you discriminated against my left handed child and we cant use it.
Him: (uncomfortable silence) Im not a toy engineer, but we don’t make a lot of parts that can bust off, so if its movable, its more likely to break.
Me: Why didn’t they just make it as a separate piece that plugged in and had a longer cord, like a mouse, where you can sit it on either side.
Him: (silence) Well, your daughter can slide down to use it so its on her left.
Me: Ok, so you expect me to sit this up in front of my computer and have her slide down to write and slide back to see it on the screen , and then back down….isn’t that a bit much to ask of a 4 year old?
Him: Um. Was that your only question?
Me: Yes, and you have answered it, but I would like to put in a formal complaint to Fischer Price and I want you to note that this toy cannot be used by LEFT handed children and I guess Ill just fight back by blogging this and emailing the company.
The conversation ended right after. The guy was pretty nice, it wasn’t HIS fault that the “toy engineers” suck.
So am I right and they should have made this toy a little more compatible? We are in the computer era. They should have had this as either detachable and a stand alone that could have went on either side OR connected to both sides and engineered another way. But ill tell you, I don’t believe for a second they didn’t do it for fear of “breaking” more often, but rather, they just didn’t THINK about it.
How annoying.
~Trisha
ps not done today w/ rants..stay tuned.
Angela G (200)
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45 Comments
Just found this blog after getting my sorry no, but I’ll let our “relevant business unit know” response to my email.
This product has just started being flogged in Australia, and no adaption has been made for lefties, we’ve tried the leapfrog clickstart quite successfully, but we were really looking forward to using that writing pad. Such a huge disappointment. I can’t believe I’m so #$@$d off about a toy!
I do think this is a glaring bit of shortsightedness on the part of Fisher-Price, but I don’t think it’s discrimination. Thoughtless-yes, poorly planning-yes. But I don’t see it as a discriminatory issue.
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I am in the SAME boat at you are. LeapFrog makes right handed toys too. I found a way around the Leapster2, but this computer you are talking about seems odd that it isnt for either hand. At least LeapFrog’s clickstart computer can be changed left or right handed.
Man! this sucks! I was getting this fo my soon to be 4 year old daughter for christmas! but she’s a lefty. This would have been the perfect toy for her:(
I am glad you called to complain. My husband is left handed and there are plenty of people who are left handed-it would make sense that someone should have considered that. I would also recommend writing a letter- maybe they will send you something for your frustration! I commented at http://www.Mommie911.com and linked to this story.
I’m not left-handed and neither are my kids, but I definetly agree with you and it’s not fair!! It’s great that you called though, because some people would just leave it at that and go about their business! But these people needed to know what was up!
Me, I’m right handed, so I don’t think about those things, but I’m glad you pointed it out! My kids are both lefties!
I thought of this when I just saw the ad for this product on telivision. I myself being a leftie thought of the left handed children aspect. That is terrible that the company didn’t consider all childrens needs. I typed in the name of the product and I wanted to see if it could be interchangeable from left to right but it cant, then I found this blog that simply and easily answered my question. I hope they fix this problem soon because it looks like a great product for children.
You’re right. That IS descrimination. I know it’s possible to make things compatible because VTech did with the Vsmile controller. It can be shifted to accommodate right or left handers. I would be writing a pretty strongly worded letter as well.
OH man, I’d be ticked as well b.c I think Connor is a lefty he uses it more than his right.
I commented at http://www.momdot.com/dear-fischer-price/#comment-58609
Very versatile stroller!!! My congratulations in advance to the winner.
I am sure there is going tobe a solution. The product is just awesome!!
That really bites…I have two left handed kids. So I won’t be buying that. It really looked like a great product that they would loved too.
OMG
That is awful.
I have one right and one left handed child.
That really sucks. Maybe I’ll call and complain too just for the heck of it
All toys should be able to be converted if it is hard for a left handed child to use it! My hubs is left handed and hated school because most desks were made for righties! My youngest could be a lefty and I would hope she can use the toys just as well as a righty!
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